Method and device for cleaning ink or indian-ink writing instruments



June 3 196.9 H. Kor- 'LlcHEN 3,447,964

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CLEANING INK OR INDIAN-INK WRITING INSTRUMENTSFiled Jan. 24. 1966 United States Patent O 3,447,964 METHOD AND DEVICEFOR CLEANING INK OR INDIAN-INK WRITING INSTRUMENTS Harald Koelichen,Geretsried, Bavaria, Germany, as-

signor to Filler & Fiebig G.m.b.H., Geretsried, Bavaria, Germany FiledJan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,700 Claims priority, application Germany,Jan. 27, 1965, F 45,076 Int. Cl. B08b 3/02 U.S. CI. 134-22 4 ClaimsABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A cleaning device for cleaning the writingelements of an ink employing writing instrument, comprising apressurized container lled with a cleaning uid under pressure, a sprayhead adapted rwith a release means for releasing the pressurizedcontents of the container; the spray head having at least one openinginto which the writing elements to be cleaned are inserted; operation ofthe release means permits the fluid material in the pressurizedcontainer to exit through the spray head and pass through and clean thewriting elements.

Capillary pensand capillary nib or point insets of writing or drawinginstruments which are used with Indian ink or ink-like writing liquidmust be cleaned from time to time to remove residual dry writing liquid.This is mostly done by rinsing out with water or a special cleaningliquid and is generally complicated and troublesome. Admittedly, somemanufacturers have produced special cleaning and shaking bottles toassist cleaning, but these do not make the cleaning of a drawing insetnoticeably easier, since the latter must still be separated into itscomponent parts to be cleaned.

The invention provides a method and cleaning device for the purposesindicated which obviate the necessity of disassembling the drawing insetto be cleaned and thus make the cleaning operation extremely simple andrapid. The cleaning device according to the invention consists of aspray bottle lled with a cleaning liquid and gas under pressure whosespraying head comprises at least one connecting means to receive thewriting or drawing inset to be cleaned.

In the method according to the invention, the inset is removed from thebody of the writing instrument and from the ink or Indian-ink containerhoused therein and tted into the connecting means on the spraying head;the latter is then suitably pressed and the lcleaning liquid is forcedin the form of a cleaning fofam through the essential inner functionalparts of the inset, leaving the latter at the writing nib or point,where it may be taken up by suitable means.

The invention will be explained with reference to the drawing, whichshows a spray bottle and the front part of an Indian-ink writinginstrument. The drawing shows a spray bottle 1 of a type known per sewhich is suited to the intended purpose and which contains the cleaningliquid under gaspressure. The spray bottle is tted with a spraying head2 which is operated in the direction of the arrow f to .cause a sprayjet to be emitted through the spray opening provided in the sprayinghead. .According to the invention, the spray opening 3 provided in thespraying head 2 is provided with an internal thread or other connectingmeans in which the writing insert 4 of an Indian-ink pen or otherwriting instrument can be iitted by means of its threaded extension 4 orby means of a corresponding extension. In known Indian-ink writinginstruments, the writing inset 4 forms the front part of the instrument,the ink container, in the form of `a cartridge or tank, is inserted intothe front part. The body (not illustrated) of the writing instrument isscrewed onto the threaded extension 4. The actual writing unit 5 isscrewed in known manner into the front part or writing inset 4, saidunit 5 containing the capillary nib or point tube and the associlatedcleaning wire, as well as the necessary air lconduits.

As shown in the drawing by arrows, when the spraying head is operatedthe cleaning liquid is forced in atomized form under pressure throughthe drawing unit 4 which is screwed into the opening 3 and emerges atthe air conduit or conduits of the drawing nib or point. The cleaningoperation is preferably assisted by shaking during the sprayingoperation to ensure that the inside of the drawing nib or point and ofthe capillary means itself is thoroughly cleaned. ALtter the cleaning byspraying, the inset 4 is unscrewed from the spraying head 2, whereuponthe residual mixture of cleaning liquid and Indian-ink can be .shakenout of the inset 4 onto a cloth or nag. IIt is also possible to wrap theinset 4 in a cleaning rag or absorbent paper during spraying to take upthe liquid emerging from the air conduits.

'Ihe cleaning device according to the invention enables the user of thewriting instrument to clean the latter rapidly and easily on the spot.`It is possible to provide the spraying head Z with a further spnayopening 6 adapted to receive the writing unit 5. For this purpose, thespray opening 6 is provided 'with an internal thread and an aXial bore 6to enable the writing unit 5 to be screwed into the opening 6. Thecleaning effect achieved in this manner is possibly greater than whenthe inset 4 is screwed into the spraying head in the manner describedabove; on the other hand, the writing unit 5 must tirst be unscrewedfrom the inset 4 before said unit can be screwed into the spraying head.

The spray opening which is not in use may be sealed in an air-tightmanner with a plug 7.

A spray bottle of the type described may also be used to clean so-calledfunnel pens, in which the capillary nib point is joined to a small inkcontainer. The ink container is usually provided at its upper edge withan external thread, onto which is screwed a cap comprising a centralopening for the passage of the cleaning pin. To clean such 'funnel pens,the spraying head 2 of the cleaning device described is provided with aninternal thread which lits the external thread of the funnel container.After unscrewing the lcap, the tunnel pen may be screwed into the sprayopening for cleaning.

The invention may be used with all writing instruments whose front partor inset is removable, and not only with lIndian-ink writing instrumentsas described in the example of embodiment.

=I claim:

1. A cleaning device for cleaning the writing elements oflan inkemploying writing instrument, said device comprising:

a pressurized container -filled with a cleaning uid material underpressure; said pressurized container having a spray head thereon; saidhead having an opening to receive the writing elements requiringcleaning; said opening having means for holding writing elements in saidopening during the cleaning operation;

conduit means passing through said head and lconnecting said openingwith the pressurized iluid material in said container;

said spray head being provided with a release means designed so thatactuation of said release means causes the cleaning fluid material underpressure in said container to ow through said conduit means and into andthrough said opening, thereby to provide cleaning yfluid material underpressure to clean the writing elements.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein said opening in said head isthreaded to receive a cooperatingly threaded Writing element.

3. The cleaning defvice of claim 1, wherein said head has more than onesaid opening to receive different Writing elements; ea'ch said openingbeing provided with means for holding writing elements in positionduring the cleaning operation;

a conduit means connecting each said opening with the material underpressure in said container;

each said opening being connected with said release means for releasingcleaning uid material through said conduit means.

8/ 1904 Thowless 134-22 XR 12/1937 Sheeham 134-22 XR MORRIS O. WLK,Primary Examiner.

M. D. BURNS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 141-30

